Creating Design Principles That Get Used
Design principles are everywhere. Most design orgs have them, but too often they sit in a Notion doc or slide deck, rarely shaping real decisions. The challenge isn’t just writing principles—it’s creating ones that teams believe in, use, and hold each other accountable to.
Why Have Design Principles?
- Create alignment → Give teams a shared lens for making decisions, reducing subjective debates.
- Connect design to company ethos → Anchor design choices in the broader mission, not just aesthetics.
- Raise quality consistently → Define what “good” looks like so the bar isn’t left to interpretation.
- Accelerate decision-making → Provide a shortcut when trade-offs or conflicts arise.
- Scale design thinking cross-functionally → Make design values accessible to PMs, engineers, and others, not just designers.
Start with Listening, Not Writing
The first step isn’t drafting. It’s listening. Before any words go on the page, I’ve found it essential to run a listening tour—surveying designers, PMs, engineers, and researchers about what feels inconsistent in the work. Ask questions like:
- Do we feel aligned in how we make design decisions?
- Do our design choices reflect the company’s values and ethos?
- Do we have a shared understanding of what “quality” means in our work?
- Do disagreements in critique or product reviews often feel subjective?
- Do cross-functional partners understand how design makes decisions?
Patterns emerge quickly, and they highlight the gaps principles can fill.
Involve the Right Stakeholders Early
Design principles aren’t just for designers. If they only live in critique sessions or design documentation, they won’t influence the broader product. That’s why it’s critical to involve cross-functional partners early—PMs, engineering leads, brand design, even executives. Without their buy-in, principles risk becoming “design wallpaper.”
At Grow Therapy, we drafted a thoughtful set of principles:
- Prioritize the therapeutic relationship
- Support, don’t overshadow
- Celebrate growth, big and small
- Be inclusive and compassionate by design
Each principle came with clear “when done right” and “when done wrong” examples, plus product tie-ins from rescheduling, reviews, and treatment plans. They were grounded in the actual problems we were solving.
But here’s the hard truth: they were never adopted.
Why? Because I didn’t bring the right stakeholders in early enough. Brand Design wanted to lead, but they were waiting on company-wide principles. Our VP of Product wasn’t engaged early, so alignment never solidified. We ended up in a waiting game, and the staff designer I asked to drive the effort didn’t have clear channels to get feedback and input from those who mattered most.
The principles were strong. The process was weak.
Choose the Right Owner
Every principle needs a champion, but not a dictator. The right owner is someone who can communicate clearly, bring people along in the process, and keep the focus on collaboration over ego. Low ego, high drive, and strong facilitation skills are the traits to look for. Ownership here is about stewardship—ensuring principles evolve with the team and get used in the day-to-day.
If I could go back, I’d have paired the staff designer with a more senior sponsor—someone who had visibility and credibility across leadership—to make sure the right doors got opened.
“The process of making design principles is as important as the principles themselves—it’s how you build trust in them.”
Build Through Collaboration
Principles can’t be handed down from on high. Workshops,